Kevin Kyle's first-team future looked bleak last night after it emerged the striker had been forced to postpone his plans to return to Sunderland's promotion push.

But the Scotland international's hopes of playing a part in the Black Cats' automatic promotion bid have once again been placed in jeopardy after he suffered a reaction to his hip injury in training. Kyle has not played for the Wearsiders since the end of August and although things had begun to look more positive last week, the latest setback is likely to persuade him that a second operation and lengthy rehabilitation is needed.

"He played for 45 minutes in the reserves and felt great and we were all delighted for him," said his manager Mick McCarthy.

"But since then he has had a reaction to it. A couple of months ago I was saying it was very unlikely he was going to play again this season, it was looking very bleak for him. But, after two weeks of extra rest and training, he seemed to be okay and we were very excited about it.

"Now it looks as though our original diagnosis might have been right after all. Whatever happens we are going to have to treat him with kid gloves and gently coax him along.

"He has been out for a long time and it's a nasty injury to have, everyone has to remember that, including him."

Many Sunderland fans had already contemplated the prospect of not seeing Kyle in a Sunderland shirt again this season, only to have their hopes raised by his goalscoring return for the second-string last Monday.

But, it seems the rest, contrary to Kyle's initial diagnosis, has not solved the problem. As a result, the striker who has arguably been Sunderland's most-improved player under McCarthy, will have to face up again to the prospect that he will have to wait until August.

It is a bitter blow for last season's top scorer and a situation McCarthy admits could have hamper his side's promotion chances. He explained: "It's not about anything he has done for me in the past, it's about what he can do in the future.

"It's about a player of Kyle's ability helping this club get promoted. If he was fit, we would have a stronger side. He would help us win games.

"It's not about emotion on my part, although it has obviously been hard for the lad, it's about the good of this football club. Our aim here is to get promoted and a fit Kevin Kyle would give us a better opportunity of achieving that."

Nevertheless, while Kyle's situation has worsened, McCarthy was relieved to see the latest round of international friendlies pass without any injuries to his first-team players.

He said: "It's a huge game for us against Watford at the weekend and it would have been nice to spend the whole week with the lads preparing for it.

"But I think they've all come through it okay. Jeff Whitley, George McCartney and Carl Robinson played for 90 minutes but are fine. Gary Breen and Stephen Elliott didn't play and for purely selfish reasons I was delighted to hear that."

But it was an international debut for Danny Collins, a defender who was playing non-League football with Chester City three years ago, which has filled the Black Cats boss with the most pride.

McCarthy spotted the potential of the 24-year-old when Sunderland beat Chester in the Carling Cup in August, paying the League Two side #140,000 to bring him to Wearside in October. And, just seven starts later in the red-and-white stripes, Collins was called into the Welsh squad by new coach John Toshack and won his first senior cap as a second-half substitute in Wales' 2-0 win over Hungary.

McCarthy added: "I'm delighted with Danny. I don't think anyone expected to see him become a full international so soon after coming here and certainly not when he was at Chester. But I've been very impressed with him."